The bangs and lights of tonight’s Fourth of July celebrations can almost be heard.

People will be sitting up late to shoot fireworks into the night sky and to enjoy specially cooked meals.

As the fun times start rolling in, there are a few things to keep in the back of your mind.

The Fourth of July is a celebration of our nation’s independence. As time passes and veterans start to pass away, so does the realization of old wars.

If there is nobody around to tell the stories of where our troops have walked and what battles they have won, then our history starts to fade and holidays like the Fourth of July become just another time of the year when we can all take vacation from our everyday lives.

As Americans we should try and look back in time as we sit down with our families to eat dinner or while we are watching fireworks and remember those who fought for our honor and those who are still fighting for our freedom.

It was on July 4, 1776 when the second continental congress adopted the Declaration of Independence.

The people celebrated this glorious day by ringing bells, firing guns, lighting candles and setting off firecrackers.

The second president of the United States of America John Adams was convinced that the holiday would live on forever.

“I believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be celebrated by pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other…” he said.

Our celebration techniques may have changed over the years, but we do still celebrate the Fourth of July, just as Adams said we would.

The declaration of our freedom was something worth celebrating back then and it is even more of a reason to celebrate now.

Everyone should enjoy the Fourth of July in as safe of a manner as possible with family and friends, as well as try and remember the true meaning of the holiday’s celebration.